Apparatus for treating beans and other pulse foods



Dec. 20, 1927.

H. P. OKIE APPARATUS FOR TREATING BEANS AND OTHER PULSE FOODS FiledApril 28. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR WM//P f? dxf/ ATTORNEYS NINIPatented Dec. 20, 1927.

HOWARD PILCHER OKIE,.OF VASHINGTON, -DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING BEANSAND' OTHER PULSE FOODS.

Application inea April 2s, 1927.

tion is the provision of a machine which will readily remove the hullsfrom the beans 1 without crushing or distorting the beans in any mannerso that the beans may not only be readily cooked but they will be moredigestible.

A further object of the invention is the provision o a machine forremoving the hulls of beans andvin which atravelling carrier is moved atright angles to that of an oscillating member which is automaticallyactuated through thev movement ot the travelling carrier, and in whichboth the travelling carrier and oscillatingl member have corrugatedsurfaces in operative relation for cooperating to cause the removal ot'the hulls.

e.. still further object ot' the invention is the provision ot -amachine for removing the hulls of beans after the beans have beensteeped or soaked in water for a predetermined length ol' time, afterwhich the beans are subjected to a percussion process between two movingsurfaces whereby the hulls are not only removed but are deflected anddischarged from the normal path of travel of the beans through themachine.

This invention will be best understood Jfrom a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, in View of the accompanying drawingsforming a part of the specification; nevertheless it is to be understoodthat the invention is not confined to.

the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modificationswhich shall detine no material departure from the salient features ofthe invention as expressed in the appended claims. I

Figure l is a, planview of a machine constructed according'to theprinciples ot my invention, v

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective of one end of the machine,

Figure 3 is a transversel vertical section taken along the line 3-3 ofFig. 1',

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 4 4 ofFig. 1,

Figure 5 is a longitudinal side view in elevation of the device shown inFig. 1,

Figure 6 is an end view showing a( modified form of operating means lorreciprofv serial No. 187,264. l

eating one of the hull removing elements, and

Figure 7 is avertical sectionthrough the modified form shown in Fig. G.Referring more particularly to the drawopposite ends oi the machine forsupporting the driven drum 11 mounted on an axle 1 2, said axle beingmounted in bearings 13 at the upper end of the standards 10. A secondpair of standards are located at the opposite end ot' the machineprovided with bearings la in Vwhich are mounted the opposite ends of ashaft 15 which carries an idling drum A' travelling carrier generallydesignated by the numeral l17 is composed of an endless member 18 formedot any flexible material to which. are secured transverse slats 19. Asshown more particularly in Fig. 4, the outer surface of each transverseslat is covered by some resilient material 20 which may be formed ofrubber' or any suitable composition and provided with a plurality vofcorrugations forV a purpose which will be presently described, It willbe noted, however, that when the travelling carrier is located in a,horizontal plane that the adjacent edges of the slats are in contactwith each other. However, when the travelling carrier passes. around thedrum 11 or drum 16, the slats will tend to move apart, more particularlyat their outer edges to provide a triangular space between. Y

Certain of the slats are extended laterally from opposite side edges 21ot the travelling carirer 17y andare provided with upstandinglugs 22 and25 yadapted to engage inclined edges 23 and 25 ot spaced plates 24C and27 respectively.v These extended slats and lugs 22 are disposed 'inspaced relation along the side edges of the travelling carrier 17 insuch a manner that they will coact with the inclined faces'V of theplates 2li at one side of thev carrier, while the lugs 25. will coactwith the inclined aces26 of plates 27 located at an opposite side edgeof the carrier for. causing lateral shifting movement of a member 28which moves at right angles to the path of movement oit' the travellingcarrier-17. It will be noted that theV plates 24 and 27 each have a pairo't'spacedvelongated slots 29 adapted ings, 10 designates spacedstandards at the n to receive thumb screws which are mounted in themember 28 whereby the plates 24 and 27 may be adjusted so that they willengage the lugs 22 and 25 at proper intervals for an effectiveoscillating motion of the'member 28.

The member 28 is supported by means of straps or hangers 88 which arerigidly se cured to a rail 84 havinga flange 35 resting` on rollers 86supported on aXles 87 which are in turn carried by brackets 88 securedto a transverse beam 89. rlChe beam 39 is supported by means of posts4() located at opposite sides of the travelling carrier adj acent thedrum 11.

A similar element supporting the opposite ends of the oscillating member28 is provided adjacent the idling drum 1G and is supported upon posts41 with hangers 42 rising from the inner end of the oscillating` member28 to which is secured a rail 43 riding in grooved rollers 44 which aresupporte-d by a transverse beam 45 secured to the upper end of the posts41.

Both the oscillating member 28 and the travelling carrier 17 areinclined at an angle to the horizontal so that moisture which has beenforced or which is removed from the beans during treatment between theequally spaced member 28 and the travelling carrier 17 will travel bygravity to the edge of the travelling carrier rand may be collected inany suitablemanner.

A travelling carrier is driven V'by a drum 51 ,and moves over an idlingdrum 52 which is opposite to the drum 51. A drum 52 carried by a shaft53 is mounted in bearings in the upper ends of a pair of spacedstandards 54. vThe drum 51 is revolved through a shaft 55 which iscarried' in bear* ings 56 formed onthe inner standards 10.

A hood 57 is located above the travelling carrier 50 and a blast ofheated air is forced through a pipe 58 and through hood 57 on to thebeans which have be-en discharged from the travelling carrier 17 ontothe travelling carrier 50 whereby vthe hulls' and moisture are removedfrom the beans before they are discharged into the container 59.

In the modified form shown in Figs. G and 7 a driven shaft 70 isprovided with u worm 71 meshing with a worm gear 72 on a shaft 73. Theshaft 73 has rigid there` with a disk 74 having an eccentric pin 75 toIwhich is connected a link 7 6 the other end ofthe link being connectedto a member 77 which is adapted to be reciprotated over the top of atravelling carrier 78. The travelling carrier 78 is identical in allrespects'to the travelling carrierv 17 while the member 77 is alsoidentical with the member,

28'and only the means for reciprocating the respective members is variedin order to disclose other methods of causing the vibratory motion ofthe member 28 which cooperates with the travelling carrier 17 toremovethe Y moving the hulls. Since thev belt istravelling in 'thedirection indicated Vvby thev arrow in Fig. 2,` the beans will be drawnin between 4the oscillating member 28 and by the travelling carrier.Since the member 28 is moved continuously in opposite directions andtransversely of the movement of vsoaked preparatory to the treatmentforrev the travelling carrier 17 the beans will be Y agitated and will berubbed between. the corruOated rubber strips 2O of the travellingcarrier 17 and the corrugated rubbing face 88 formed at the inner faceof the'j'meinber 28 whereby the hulls will he gradually broken andremovedfrom the beans.

Any moisture which may have been carried by the beans through thetravelling carrier 17 will run ott from the travelling carrier since thetravelling carrier is inclined at a slight angle to the horizontal orone edgeis lower than the other edge, so that all moisture will bevdrained from the travelling carrier. rfhevvibratory motion of themember 28 in conjunction with the movementy of the travelling' carrier17 which impels the beans forwardly and in opposition to the moven mentof the member' 28 Vcauses the removal of the hulls so that when thebeans are discharged from the inner end of the travelling carrier 17 andon the travelling carrier 50 the stream of rair from the hood 57 willforce lthe hulls of the beans from the travelling carrier 50 and alsovthe moisture.l W'hen the beans are discharged into the container thehulls aid moisture will have been' removed and the 'beans are now readyfor cooking or shipping in cartons as the case may be.

The beans may be broken into small partirles to facilitate cooking` or aiiour may beV manufactured from the beans byany well known millingprocess, andl such flour differs from the well known fleurs on themarket Y due to the fact that it is an uncooked'product from which thehulls have been removed by the mechanism described above. rEhe productis one in which a high protein food content is had and from which allthe in-` digestible elements have beenremoved I claim f i l. A device ofthe character` described comprising an endless carrier, means for movingsaid carrier,'a member havinga IZVl corrugated surface spaced from theendless carrier, means on the member and cooperating means on thecarrier for causing reciperocation of said member whereby beans placedon the carrier are agitated between said members and carrier to removethe hulls.

2. il. device for removing the hulls from beans comprising an endlessbelt having an active tace corrugated transversely ot the endless belt,said belt having spaced lateral projections, lugs upst-anding from theprojections, a cooperating surtace spaced 'from the endless belt andprovided with laterally projecting cain members adapted to be engagedalternatelyby the lugs at opposite sides et the belt tor causingreciprocation of the surface, and for agitating and rubbing the beansbetween the surta-ce and the endless carrier.

A device lor removing the hulls from beans con'iprising an endless belthaving an active tace corrugated transversely ot the endless belt., saidbelt having spaced lateral projections, lugs upst-anding from theprojections, a cooperating surface spaced from the endless belt andprovided with laterally projecting cam members adapted to be engagedalternately by the lugs at opposite sides o't'the belt tor causingreciprocationot the surface, and tor agitating and rubbing the beansbetween the surface and the endless carrier, and means ior slidablymount ing the surtace above the carrier.

A device tor removing the hulls from beans comprising` an endless belthaving an active tace corrugated transversely ot the endless belt, saidbelt having spaced lateral projections, lugs upstanding from theprojections, a cooperating surface spaced from the endless belt andprovided with laterally projecting cam members adapted to be engagedalternately by the lugs at opposite sides of the belt for causingreciprocation of the surface, and for agitating and rubbing the beansbetween the surface and the endless carrier, the endless belt having oneside edge lower than the other edge whereby moisture from the beans willtiow by gravn ity from the endless belt.

5. A device tor removing the hulls 'from beans comprising an endlessbelt having an active lace corrugated transversely of the endless belt,said belt having spaced lateral projections, lugs upstanding from theprojections, a cooperating surface spaced from the endless belt andprovided with laterally projecting cani members adapted to be cngagedalternately by the lugs at opposite sides Lof the belt for causingreciprocation ot' the surface, and for agitating and rubbing the beansbetween the surface and the endless carrier, means for adjusting Vthecam members longitudinally of the endless belt.

(5. A device for removing the hulls ot beans comprising an endless belt,means for inovingysaid belt, a plane surface spaced above section of theendless belt, a -trame embracing the endless beltprovided with rollers,hangers connected vwith the opposite end of the surface and providedwith a track movable on the rollers whereby the surface is movabletransversely ot the endless belt, plates adjustably mounted on thesurface and projecting in spaced relation laterally from the surface,said plates having one side edge inclined at an acute angle to an edgeof the surface, lugs carried by the opposite'side edges of the endlessbelt and adapted to engage the inclined edge to cause the alternatereciprocation` ot the surface transversely of the moving belt.

HOWARD PILCl-IER OKIE.

CERTIFICATE 0F CGRRECTIGN.

Patent No. L $53, 5%, anted December 20, 1927,

ertiied that the name et the eatentee in the above numbered patent waserreeeeusy wri tten and printed as Howard Pilcher Gkie, whereas saidname should have been wri tten and printed as "Howard Pi teher Okie; andthat the said Letters atent should be reed Wi th this eorreetion thereinthat the same may eenferm te 'the record ef the ease in the Patent(fiee.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of March., A. D. i928.

It is hereby e M. J. Moore, Sea E. Acting Cemmissoner of etentee

